The Blue Mosque
The first place to see was the Blue Mosque, or more formally the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Now sadly the photos are crappy one from the Blackberry as I left my camera in the taxi. Doh. I got a new camera on Day 2, so the photos will be better.
A photo from across the park.
This photo (from Wikimedia Commons) far better captures its majesty.
A local insisted on showing me how to enter the Mosque (it is around the back) and he was quite helpful. He could tell I was suspicious though, as he kept saying he did not have a gun. As I suspected he met me when I came out and insisted I visit his shop one minute away. They sell carpets and had a nice silk carpet for just 1600 Euros for me.
Luckily I used my (not feigned) distress over my missing camera to escape sans purchase.
A very bad photo of inside, from the Blackberry.
And again a far better photo from Wikimedia Commons.
There isn’t a huge amount to see in the Mosque, compared to other attractions. You tend to be in and out in well under an hour. It was an impressive sight to see, but not as spectacular as some of the others.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Did you tell them you are a Jew?
November 9th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Nice pics, brings back many memories when I was there in ‘99.
How many times have you been asked to visit their cousins/brothers/fathers /uncles carpet store for some tea yet? Oh, and the other I like, is, the “I am not trying to sell you anything, I just want to practice my english.”
Oh, I should have warned you about the cabbies from the airport; the ones I had tended to treat other cabbies as if they were all frustrated race car drivers.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Try and the Sulemaniye Mosque if you can – it’s huge, and is utterly beautiful, designed by the great architect Sinan.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
It looks splendid (if a bit “foreign”); must take ages to do the cleaning.
http://www.nightcitytrader.blogspot.com
November 9th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Very beautiful, I’d go look at the temple of Artemis if it is open to tourists.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Didn’t this used to be a Christian church???
November 9th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
DPF:
If you come to my church, and even if you think I look suspicious, I promise that I won’t have a gun on me – really!
As WhaleOil mentioned above at 5:52 pm, have you mentioned your Jewish heritage (I assume this is correct), and if so, what was the reaction, if any, from Muslims around you?
Having never been to a Muslim country, do you sense a different ’spirituality’ compared to NZ?
Enjoy yourself, but be safe.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I was there a year ago staying in a hotel in Sultanahmet overlooking the Blue Mosque.
The call to prayer in the early morning remains an abiding memory for me, along with the inevitable carpet I stare at on my living room floor every day!
Enjoy every minute David. Are you getting to Gallipoli, Ephesus or Cappadocia this trip?
November 9th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
That would be the Hagia Sophia Swiftman, Blue mosque is built on the Byzantium empires palace.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Turkey has tended to be a far more benign place for Jewish visitors, reflecting the old Ottoman practice of opening its borders during (historical) European pogroms to refugees.
I’d love to be let loose inside there with my camera gear…
November 9th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Have you mentioned your Jewish heritage (I assume this is correct), and if so, what was the reaction, if any, from Muslims around you?
Istanbul is full o’ Jews – probably more there than there are in New Zealand – so I’m guessing the reaction would be a big ol’ yawn.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Agree Danyl, and what sort of weird motherfucker wanders round announcing their religion anyway? “Hi, I’m Serge, I’m a Catholic with tendencies towards Scientology on Wednesdays and Judaism on Saturday so I don’t have to mow the lawns…”
November 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Danyl its not actually. There is only one small synagogue hidden down a back alley on the other side of the river.
Not to say I had any issues there though.
Great country, nice people and cheap beer. Every area is complelely different and well worth a good 10 day round trip.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
“A local insisted on showing me how to enter the Mosque (it is around the back) and he was quite helpful.”
Fucken turks they have always been backdoor boys.
Didn’t you watch Lawerence of Arabia!!
So your not a virgin anymore eh.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Turkey’s awesome, very moderate, and up until now I haven’t had a problem with their moderately Islamist government but take a look at what their PM said today
Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan questioned the charges against Mr Bashir and said that “no Muslim could perpetrate a genocide”, according to Turkey’s Anatolia news agency.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8349678.stm
November 9th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Agree Emmess. The historic division of religion and state is being eroded by the current Govt. This can be seen through thier backing of head dress, closeness to Syria and disputes with Israel.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Buggerlugs [November 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pm],
I didn’t realise being a Jew was in fact a religion!
I think you’ll find Jews are in fact an ethnic people group – many of whom are agnostic/atheistic.
And I don’t really know where DPF is on the religious spectrum; the comment was related to his ethnic heritage.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Emmess
They’ve never owned up to the Arminian genocide
November 10th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Kris K
That’s an interesting point of view.
I thought it was a religion as there are black Jews and white Jews and yellow Jews all over the world, there’s even Jews in India!
November 10th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Johnboy [November 9th, 2009 at 8:19 pm],
… and the miracle that is the ‘Demerit Virgin’ continues …
New Zealand’s own version of the virgin of Magigoria – should we call you Mary from now on?
November 10th, 2009 at 10:35 am
“Jewish” is an ethnicity, and “Judaism” is a religion traditionally associated with that ethnicity, but not exclusively. There are Jewish Buddhists, Jewish Christians, Jewish atheists, etc. There are also non-ethnically Jewish converts to the Judaic faith.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Thanks Ryan
Though I’m having trouble absorbing Jewish (pick a religion) as a term, as to me I’ve always thought that you were a Jew or not.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:40 am
MikeNZ 10:15 am,
And of course you’re right as well, Mike.
Those that convert to Judaism become Jews in the religious sense. But there are ethnic Jews who are descendant from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) – who may indeed not practice Judaism; many being agnostic/atheistic.
I believe DPF falls into the ethnic Jewish category (according to Whaleoil above). I was more coming from this angle – a literal descendant of Jacob.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Ethnically, you are Jewish or not in the same way that you are Persian or not, Korean or not, Inuit or not, etc.
Religiously, you are Jewish (I prefer “Judaist” to prevent confusion) or not in the same way that you are Christian or not, Buddhist or not, etc.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:02 am
So Ryan
I am correct in understanding you that a New Zealander can be black, white, yellow or Buddist, Muslim, Jewish (judaist), Atheist but not Jewish (ethnos)?
November 10th, 2009 at 11:39 am
MikeNZ 11:02 am,
If I may butt in; I believe most ethnic Jews still regard themselves as Jews irrespective of their birth country. For instance, there were Jews prior to the establishment of Israel in 1948.
So an ethnic Jew born in NZ would likely regard themselves as both a Kiwi AND a Jew.
You should put your question to DPF.